Egg-tester.



E. C. WALDORP.

EGG TESTER. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1907.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

EUGENE O. WALDORF, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

EGG-TESTER.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE G. lVALDoRr, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of andApparatus for Testing Eggs.

My invention relates to egg testing methods and devices, and the objectof my invention is to produce a more accurate and desirable method andmeans for ascertaining the approximate ages and relative conditions ofeggs.

I accomplish the objects of my invention in the manner and by the meanshereinafter disclosed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,whereby I am enabled to ascertain the approximate age and quality of aneggmore positively, and more accurately, than is now possible by any ofthe means or methods heretofore used or known.

In my investigations and experiments, I have found that the specificgravity of an egg immediately after it has been laid by a hen is greaterthan that of a liquid, as for instance, water; and that it is greaterthen than at any time thereafter, and for the reason that each daythereafter the tendency of the egg is to lose in weight and becomelighter each day, if left exposed to the air. Consequently the egg, whenfirst laid, sinks in water with greater force than it will after it hasbeen exposed for some time to the action of the atmosphere, and for thisreason, the different positions assumed by eggs and egg-tester holdingthem when placed in water, as indicated, will indicate by reason oftheir specific gravity the relative ages and qualities of each egg. Suchbeing the case, I have devised an egg holder adapted to retain the eggwhen immersed in a liquid, and to register its relative position in thatliquid; consequently, by my method, and with my device, one is enabledto grade or separate eggs by their specific gravity into differentclasses, or a series of classes, so that all eggs in each class, will bevery nearly the same age and same relative quality.

By actual experiment in the commission houses, I have found that the socalled candling process in many cases, fails to show which eggs are eggsare bad that is to say I have found that from 5 to 20% of the eggscandled by the candling process now in vogue, and discarded as bad eggsare equally as Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 4, 1907.

good and which Patented Nov. 17', 1908.

Serial No. 400,728.

good as those which that process shows to be good for the reason thatthe shells of some eggs fail to permit of the passage of light in thesame relative. proportion as others, and consequently, such an egg, when:andled, will show up dark and cloudy and it will be cast aside as a badegg, when in fact, its specific gravity, its age, and its quality, isthe same as one shown by the candling process to he clear and good;consequently, by my method, the commission man is enabled to effect asaving of from 5 to 20 per cent. in the number of his eggs, which wouldbe by the candling process, thrown out as had besides, he is enabled topositively classify his eggs according to quality, and thereby obtainprices for them in accordance with their relative values.

I have also found, by experiment, with my process and device, that a.percentage of the eggs shown by the candling process, to be clear andtherefore called good, are really bad eggs. They are eggs that aretransparent and to the eye, as seen by the candling process, seemperfectly good, but by my process and with my device, they are shown tohave lost in specific gravity (also the formation of certain abnormalgases), and upon being used are found to be utterly unfit for use, andto ruin the other material to which they have been added.

I have also found that a device adapted for use, as an egg holder andtester, in my process of testing eggs, may be constructed in variousways, and still accomplish good results.

In the accompanying drawing, the like letters of reference, refer tolike parts in each figure, and Figure 1 is a top plan view of the testerand holder, Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view, and Fig. 3 is a planview of the tester, when the bottom end is upward. Fig. 4 is alongitudinal sectional view of a vessel containing a liquid preferablywater in which is placed my new tester and holder, having embracedwithin the retaining wires a bad egg, and Fig. 5 is a like view showingthe tester body portion in section and in the position it will assumewhen the egg within the retaining wires is a best egg of merchantablequality.

The device here shown has been used very successfully by myself andothers and is composed of a light hollow body portion A, having a broadbase portion B to which is secured bits of spring wire C, and D, adaptedto yield to pressure and be separated so as to permit of an egg beinginserted in the space indicated, when they clamp the egg and retain itin the position desired, all in a manner well known.

In my process of testing, when an egg has been inserted within theretaining wires, as indicated, it is immersed in water of sufiicientdepth to permit the egg to settle therein to a depth equal, at least, tothe length of the egg tester and holder. If the egg inserted is of thebest quality, it will drag the egg tester down nearly its full lengthand to the point indicated in Fig. 5 of the drawing. If the egg insertedis a bad egg, it will settle only slightly in the water as indicated inFig. 4 of the drawing. Eggs that are of varying ages and qualitiesbetween the best egg and the bad one, will when immersed in water, sinkin the water in accordance to their respective ages and qualities andmay be, therefore, graded according to the depth reached in the water.

WVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. In egg testing devices an egg holder having a body portion adapted tofloat upon water, and broader at its base than at its top, and providedwith retaining Wires secured to its base, and adapted to receive an eggand retain it in position below the base of the body, as shown anddescribed, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In egg testing devices, an egg holder consisting of a light bodyportion adapted to rise to the surface of water, when immersed therein,and a retaining device provided with means whereby a single egg can besecured in position immediately adjacent to the body portion, all as andfor the purposes set forth.

SILAS J. DOUGLASS, FERD. REBHAN.

